Customers of a popular Princes Avenue restaurant have hit out after it closed without warning.

Lucca shut its doors for good last week, with a spokesman for the owners saying they had been forced to take the decision after "personal and business problems".

Customers have now spoken out over worries about deposits paid towards the restaurant, which is expected to soon be rebranding to New Lucca.

One said that despite paying a £50 deposit to Lucca she is yet to be given it back, even though her party did not take place because the restaurant had suddenly closed.

Another customer, Sarah Todd, of west Hull, organised her work's Christmas party at Lucca for Saturday, December 1.

Lucca in Princes Avenue, west Hull, is currently closed

But she has claimed that although she has paid a deposit of £55 she has not received any word from the restaurant and cannot get in touch with them, despite New Lucca telling Hull Live just last week that they would honour all Christmas bookings.

The 32-year-old said: "I haven't heard anything from them. I've emailed and called them and nothing. They've taken the old Facebook page down otherwise I'd have messaged that one.

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"I went and paid the deposit during Hull Fair and it seemed to be closed then - there was just staff, no customers.

"It was a Thursday and it is usually busy down Princes Avenue but I had to call them and ask if I could go in and pay the deposit."

'They should be calling people to confirm'

Sarah, who works at Little Owls nursery, said she took it upon herself to organise the party while she is on maternity leave and thought Lucca would be a nice place to go.

But she says the party may have to be cancelled if they cannot get any word about what has happened.

She said: "I've been a few times in the last few years and it has always been nice. I'm just worried because I've tried calling and it is just ringing out and I've emailed and no one has got back in contact with me to confirm the booking.

Sarah Todd has not been contacted by Lucca about her Christmas meal (Image: Copyright unknown)

"I drove past during the day and saw it looked closed and another lady came and said she had gone for a booking but it was closed.

"They should be calling people to confirm, especially as they said they would honour the bookings. We've paid £55 but because of all of this people are saying they might not go and we should just go to the pub.

"It is a special occasion so we thought going there would be nice."

'My deposit hasn't been paid'

Another woman from west Hull, who did not want to be named, said she had not been refunded her £50 deposit after paying it for her partner's 30th birthday party.

The woman said she had paid the deposit a month in advance and was trying to pre-order the group's food when she realised the restaurant had closed down.

She said: "I booked a table for 16 people at Lucca on September 25 for October 27 for my partner's 30th birthday.

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"I paid a deposit of £50 over the phone to secure the booking. The week leading up to the 27 I tried calling Lucca to discuss if I could come through on the Saturday to decorate the tables but I couldn't get through. The phone was just ringing and ringing.

"I tried calling more than 30 times over two days and on the third day of trying I decided to go on my lunch break to try and speak to someone face to face only to find the restaurant in complete darkness.

"I carried on calling the same afternoon and the next day. I emailed on their website and also sent a direct message to their Facebook page. I decided to call KCOM on the Thursday as all of a sudden the phone line had gone dead.

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"KCOM couldn't disclose much information other than it seemed that the phone line had been disconnected and Lucca had been taken over by a new owner.

"I cancelled the night for my partner's 30th and luckily we managed to get in somewhere else. In the mean time, I received an email from Lucca confirming they would refund my £50 and for me to email back a convenient time."

The woman says she replied to Lucca to tell them she would pick the deposit up on Sunday, October 28, but has said she is yet to get a response.

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She said: "I have tried calling numerous times on many occasions since and have still had no luck getting in contact with anyone regarding my refund."

Last week the building's owners said they were on the cusp of an exciting new future starting with a new operator.

A notice of repossession was spotted in the restaurant's window last week.

The repossession notice was put up in the window of Lucca (Image: HullLive)

The notice said: "Notice of forfeiture by peaceable re-possession to bar or who it may concern r.e 84 Princes Avenue, Hull.

"Being premises subject of the lease dated the 1st of September 2011 between the landlord, and the above named persons on the 9th November 2018.

"Peaceable re-possession of the above premises was secured as a result of your failure to pay the rent in accordance with the terms of the said lease. Paragraph 7.1 allowed forfeiture under these circumstances."

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The notice advises the location that if anyone wants to recover any personal items, they must contact the landlord's agent. It continued: "If you do not contact the landlord's agent within SEVEN days from the date of this notice then they reserve the right to remove the belongings and place them in storage.

"Any costs incurred will then be sought. Do not attempt to break into premises if you do so you may commit a criminal offence. Any attempt to enter the premises will be reported to the police."

Future plans

The restaurant taking Lucca's place will be called New Lucca.

A spokesman said the restaurant is currently closed for a refurbishment but will open again at the start of December so all Christmas bookings can be honoured. A specific opening date has not been advertised at this stage.

It will then close again for a total refit which will cost around £60,000.

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